The tape will be fully peeled off by the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year.

Audi has been spied testing the new RS4 Avant, ahead of its expected market launch in 2018. Using the same drivetrain as the recently-revealed RS5 Coupe, there may be no surprises beneath the disguise but it's still a model we're looking forward to.

It will feature Audi's newly developed biturbo 2.9-litre V6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, as is the case with the new RS5. While there's no horsepower increase over the old RS4, the adoption of turbocharging has boosted torque by a whopping 125 lb-ft over the outgoing naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8.

Not only that, but the driver will get to enjoy the V6’s full power considerably sooner in the rpm range thanks to the turbos. Factor in the weight loss brought by the new platform and the next-gen RS4 Avant is shaping up to be a super wagon. To get an idea of the car’s anticipated weight reduction, the latest RS coupe has shaved off about 60 kilograms after switching to the MLB Evo platform.

In terms of performance, the RS5 Coupe needs 3.9 seconds to get from 0 to 62 mph, but with the Avant load-lugger being slightly heavier, it will likely need a few extra ticks of a seconds to complete the task. Expect something along the lines of 4.2 seconds, which would be half a second quicker than the old RS4 Avant. As for top speed, it will once again be electronically capped at 155 mph, but Audi will be more than happy to loosen up that limiter if the client will opt for the dynamic package. In the RS5 Coupe, the limiter kicks in at 174 mph.

The all-new Audi RS4 Avant is probably set to bow at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, although an online reveal might occur a few weeks sooner.